Justin B. Terry-Smith has been involved in Gay and HIV Activism since 1999. He is a Air Force 9/11 Disabled Vet. Raised in Silver Spring, MD, he now lives in Severn, MD with his husband Phil. He writes an HIV/STI Advice Column for A&U Magazine and is a Contributing writer for thebody.com. He earned an AA in Communications, a BA in Political Science, Masters and Doctorate in Public Health with a concentration in Infectious Disease.

Justin's HIV Journal

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Justin's HIV Journal: Washington DC Equality March

The Equality March was a revitalization of DC's Gay Community and a lot of Gays came from far away to join us as we protested on the streets of DC. I think the experience was a great one. A lot of people didn't think that this march would be a big as it was. My husband and I were there with a lot of our friends. There were a lot of people that we knew there.

We saw Daniel Choi Cleve Jones Carol Schwartz and many others. There are many injustices that we as gay people have to face. For Example we are kicking out many able bodied men and women from the military under the "Don't Ask Don't Tell Policy". I'm an Air Force Veteran and my husband is an Army Veteran we served our country and got out honorably. I feel for all the gays and lesbians that were not able to serve their country because they were found out and kicked out.

DOMA has to go. My partner and I were married on August 7th 2009 and we could not be any happier. People like Bishop Jackson of New Hope Church in PG County MD say marriage between and man and a woman is wrong because it's against god. Well I ASK HIM WHOSE GOD ARE YOU REFERRING TO SINCE I'M NOT CHRISTIAN WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO TRY TO CHANGE THE LAW BECAUSE YOUR RELIGION SAYS IT'S WRONG. WELL I'M PAGAN AND MY RELIGION DOESN'T CARE.

In the Bible it also says eating swine is a sin. So Bishop you do me a favor You take the sausage out of your mouth and I'll take the sausage out of mine. Got it!!

Justin B Terry-Smith

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About Justin B Terry-Smith

My name is Justin B Terry-Smith, I'm a Black Gay man living in Laurel, Maryland and I am HIV+. I've decided to share my story because I feel it's important that people who have unprotected sex know what they might be getting themselves into. People have asked me why I am doing this, why have I put my personal business out like this. I tell them it is to help educate people, to make them aware and to make them think twice about having unprotected sex. This is my personal journey that needs to be told to help the community.
HIV is neither glamorous or a rite of passage. Watch the Journal and think twice.
In the words of Pedro Zamora, "I'm not dying. I'm living with it"